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Saints need home-field advantage

NEW ORLEANS – It’s probably fitting that the New Orleans Saints 2014 journey began in St. Louis, the city known as the Gateway to the West. For it’s the West the Saints must conquer, and out west in Glendale, Arizona, site of Super Bowl XLIX, where they hope their season-long march concludes 22 Sundays from now.

The Saints won their first Super Bowl in 2009, yet ever since the NFC West has been a thorn in the side of the team who’s home lies on the East Bank of the Mississippi.

Sure, the Saints have since made the playoffs in three of the four seasons, with their only absence coming in 2012, when head coach Sean Payton served his yearlong Bountygate suspension. In all three appearances, though, they’ve been unceremonious booted by NFC West teams playing at home. San Francisco did it once (2011), Seattle, twice (2010, 2013).

Seattle is the defending Super Bowl champion and looks to be every bit as dangerous as a season ago. The 49ers are no slouches, either. Over the last three years, they’ve been defeated in the Super Bowl once — in 2012 by the Baltimore Ravens in New Orleans, no less — and twice in the NFC Championship. Both teams are vaunted opponents at any venue. Their home stadiums, however, present even greater challenges.

Surely the Saints don’t want to again travel to the Pacific Northwest, where they could be forced to operate in cold and rainy conditions while Seattle’s 12th Man takes another shot at a noise record. Moreover, it’s probably safe to assume San Francisco’s new $1.2 billion stadium won’t be any more inviting.

Consequently, it’s imperative for the Saints to earn home-field advantage for this year’s postseason. They had it in 2009. Then need it in 2014.

The Saints’ woeful 3-5 road record from a year ago just won’t cut it. I’m no math expert, but by my calculations that record doesn’t jive with the number of wins the Saints will likely need to secure home field throughout the playoffs. It would at best give New Orleans 11 wins. And if history teaches us anything, that’s insufficient.

Over the last decade, nine of the 12 teams that posted 13-3 records have claimed that coveted No. 1 seed. The 2011 Saints, however, are one of those teams that fell short despite winning 13 games. The other two — the 49ers in 2011 and the Packers in 2007 — both of whom the Saints face this season.

Excluding the 2012 season, the Saints have lost just two regular season home games — Atlanta and Tampa Bay in 2010 — in the three other seasons since winning the Super Bowl. The Saints have enjoyed the ride in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, going 22-2 at home during those years.

A first-round bye, home for the playoffs, sounds good if I’m the Saints. But 13 may not be enough this year. Seattle, Green Bay and San Francisco are capable of winning as many or more. Plus, there’s always a team or two that can sneak up on the league and surprise even the best prognosticators.

On paper, the Saints certainly have the roster to ensure the NFC’s road to Glendale goes through New Orleans.

Here’s a look at a few key players at each position:

QUARTERBACK: I could bloviate about Drew Brees and remind everyone just how good he is. However, you all know this already. The Saints will go as far as he carries them. Here’s a stat you may be unaware of, though: he’s holds outright or is tied for 66 NFL records.

RUNNING BACKS: Mark Ingram finally looks to be the running back the Saints hoped they’d get when they traded up to acquire him in 2011. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry in the preseason, rushing 22 times for 156 yards and a touchdown. He appears, however, to have finally have earned the trust of Payton and Brees as it relates to the passing game, making him now an every-down threat. Last season, the Saints running back by committee system was hampered by predictability as Ingram, Pierre Thomas, Khiry Robinson and Darrin Sporles each had defined roles defenses easily identified. With Sproles having been traded to Philadelphia, and the further development of Ingram and Robinson into more complete backs, the Saints running game should now be an asset and help provide a more balanced offensive attack.

OFFENSIVE LINE : Can two players make a world of difference? The answer: absolutely. The development of tackle Tavon Rooks and the return of center Jonathan Goodwin now makes this a formidable unit. Brees was sacked 37 times in 2013. That’s 11 more than any other season since joining the Saints for the 2007 season. It took a while for the Saints lineman to fully grasp their zone-blocking principles, but now that they do I expect them to be improved in every facet of the game.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: The NFL doesn’t consider Jimmy Graham a wide receiver, but that didn’t stop me from grouping them together. Graham, who is still the offense’s most potent weapon, is out to prove he was deserving of his record four-year, $40 million deal. He’s been fantastic during the preseason. The addition of wide receiver Brandon Cooks, who’s my pick to win the NFL’s Rookie of the Year, should help shift coverage away from Graham and provide more opportunities for all the Saints pass catchers big and small. Cooks had nine receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown in the preseason, a meager glimpse of his potential within the Saints passing game.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Last season was a breakout year for Cam Jordan, who had 12.5 sacks and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. This year, it’s Akiem Hicks’ turn. The behemoth 6-foot-5, 324-pound fleet-footed lineman, who can play either guard or tackle, will surely occupy his fair share of double teams, providing the Saints other pass rushers an easier route to the quarterback. The only concern is whether this unit can effectively stop the run.

LINEBACKERS: With Junior Galette on the outside and Curtis Lofton quarterbacking the defense from the middle, this unit is in good shape. Of the nine linebackers on the 53-man roster, three (Khairy Fortt, Ronald Powell, Kasim Edebali) are rookies and another (Kyle Knox) has less than a year’s worth of experience. Still, the three other veterans who comprise the unit (Ramon Humber, Parys Haralson, David Hawthorne) have a combined 22 years of experience.

SECONDARY: As this unit’s only unproven commodity, cornerback Patrick Robinson is going to be tested early and often because opposite him stands Keenan Lewis, who’s out for the NFL to recognize him as elite. The addition of safety Jairus Byrd to the league’s No. 2-ranked pass defense, plus the further development of Kenny Vaccaro adds up to a secondary that’s more than capable of dealing with today’s high-octane passing attacks.

Lyons Yellin covers the Saints for WWL-TV in New Orleans and Gannett Louisiana. Connect with Lyons on Twitter @LyonsYellin